because I don't want to stand by the gate of hell !! I should practice 'Loving-kindness' more and more so I can go to heaven...well how about me..starting today ???Starting today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljFBqAckdLY

******************

I got this lovely story from my dear friend 'Antony'(BuddhaVihara), please let me share it with you all.

An Appointment to Remember[by S.I. Kishor...true story]

John Blanchard stood up from the bench, straightened his Army uniform, andstudied the crowd of people making their way through Grand Central Station. Helooked for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn't, the girl withthe rose.

------His interest in her had begun thirteen months before in a Florida library.Taking a book off the shelf he found himself intrigued, not with the words ofthe book, but with the notes penciled in the margin. The soft handwritingreflected a thoughtful soul and insightful mind.

In the front of the book, he discovered the previous owner's name, Miss HollisMaynell. With time and effort he located her address. She now lived in New YorkCity.

He wrote her a letter introducing himself and inviting her to correspond. Soonafter he was shipped overseas for service in World War II.

During the next year and one month the two grew to know each other through themail. Each letter was a seed falling on a fertile heart. A romance was budding.Blanchard requested a photograph, but she refused. She felt that if he reallycared, it wouldn't matter what she looked like.

When the day finally came for him to return from Europe, they scheduled theirfirst meeting - 7:00 PM at the Grand Central Station in New York. "You'llrecognize me," she wrote, "by the red rose I'll be wearing on my lapel."

So at 7:00 he was in the station looking for a girl whose heart he loved, butwhose face he'd never seen. I'll let Mr. Blanchard tell you what happened:

A young woman was coming toward me, her figure long and slim. Her blonde hairlay back in curls from her delicate ears; her eyes were blue as flowers. Herlips and chin had a gentle firmness, and in her pale green suit she was likespringtime come alive. I started toward her, entirely forgetting to notice thatshe was not wearing a rose. As I moved, a small, provocative smile curved herlips. "Going my way, sailor?" she murmured.

Almost uncontrollably I made one step closer to her, and then I saw HollisMaynell. She was standing almost directly behind the girl. A woman well past 40,she had graying hair tucked under a worn hat.. She was more than plump, herthick-ankled feet thrust into low-heeled shoes. The girl in the green suit waswalking quickly away. I felt as though I was split in two, so keen was my desireto follow her, and yet so deep was my longing for the woman whose spirit hadtruly companioned me and upheld my own. And there she stood. Her pale, plumpface was gentle and sensible, her gray eyes had a warm and kindly twinkle. I didnot hesitate. My fingers gripped the small worn blue leather copy of the bookthat was to identify me to her.

This would not be love, but it would be something precious, something perhapseven better than love, a friendship for which I had been and must ever begrateful. I squared my shoulders and saluted and held out the book to the woman,even though while I spoke I felt choked by the bitterness of my disappointment."I'm Lieutenant John Blanchard, and you must be Miss Maynell. I am so glad youcould meet me; may I take you to dinner?"

The woman's face broadened into a tolerant smile. "I don't know what this isabout, son," she answered, "but the young lady in the green suit who just wentby, she begged me to wear this rose on my coat. And she said if you were to askme out to dinner, I should go and tell you that she is waiting for you in thebig restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of test!"

It's not difficult to understand and admire Miss Maynell's wisdom.

The true nature of a heart is seen in its response to the unattractive.

Rhodolite is a varietal name for rose-pink to red mineral pyrope, a species in the garnet group. It is found in Cowee Valley, Macon County, North Carolina.[2] The name is derived from the Greek for "rose-like", in common with many pink mineral types (e.g. rhodochrosite, rhodonite),.......Africa------------------Rubellite

The rubellite is a particularly beautiful gemstone from the colourful family of the tourmalines. Its colour shines in the most beautiful nuances from red to shocking pink. However, only a few of these are entitled to call themselves 'rubellites'. The name comes from the Latin 'rubellus', which means reddish. Rubellites are not merely red or shocking pink tourmalines. There is an important criterion for this especially beautiful gemstone, and that is the way its colour behaves in daylight and artificial light.

Rubellites are cut in the most various ways, though the cutter must take account of the varying intensity of the colour. Rubellites are mainly found in Brazil, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria and Pakistan. Some beautiful shocking pink rubellites come from a gemstone mine in the USA.------------

Peridot....August birthstone

Peridot is one of the few gemstones that occur in only one color, an olive green. The intensity and tint of the green, however, depends on how much iron is contained in the crystal structure, so the color of individual peridot gems can vary from yellow- to olive- to brownish-green. The most valued color is a dark olive-green.

Peridot olivine is mined in Egypt, North Carolina, Arizona on the San Carlos Reservation, Hawaii, Nevada, and New Mexico at Kilbourne Hole, in the US; and in Australia, Brazil, China, Kenya, Mexico, Myanmar (Burma), Norway, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania.

In meteorites

Peridot crystals have been collected from some Pallasite meteorites. A famous Pallasite was offered for auction in April 2008 with a requested price of close to $3 million at Bonhams, but remained unsold.

********Rhodolite garnets look so enchanting in the sunlight, the color of flame red grapes will dazzle you .....Rubellites are more like Burmese rubies top grade..so bright/clear/sparkling red/shocking pink....love love them.

yawares

Last edited by yawares on Mon Apr 15, 2013 2:23 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Yesterday I watched this fun movie with my hubby who teased me that I shouldn't try to be that dangerous.

Bridget Fonda plays the willowy street punk who becomes a high-society killer.This movie sneaks up on you. For all of fake glamour, there are guilty pleasures throughout, not the least of which is the emotional core of the relationship between Bridget Fonda and Gabriel Byrne. Dermot Mulroney is also winning in his underwritten role.

I love dangerous woman! This movie is fun to watch. Not totally realistic, but the acting is somewhat believable... Bridget Fonda IS REALLY GOOD AT PLAYING A BAD GIRL. ITS A SUPER THRILLER AND WILL KEEP YOU ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT !!

I always feel sad whenever I learn about movie stars/singers who died or almost died because of drug-overdose : River Phoenix, Whitney Houston,Michael Hutchence INXS, Marilyn Monroe, Rob Pilatus(Milli Vanilli)etc..and still many young stars get hooked on drugs : Lindsey Lohan, Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears etc.

Bon Jovi has four children, Stephanie and three sons, with high school sweetheart

Four months after his life got turned upside down, Jon Bon Jovi talked about his daughter Stephanie Bongiovi's heroin overdose.

In an interview with Katie Couric on "Katie" last Friday (March 15), the famed singer spoke about the night he learned of what happened to his daughter in her Hamilton College dorm room, calling it the "worst phone call ever."

He then explained that until that night, he was unaware of his daughter's drug use and the scare they faced served as a wake up call for him. "The problem is much more prevalent than I know," the 51-year-old rocker said. "I cannot get over how many people I've met that said 'my son' or 'my daughter' … There is a lot of pressure on kids these days."

Bon Jovi quickly added that Stephanie, 19, is doing a lot better since her hospitalization. "She's doing great and I appreciate everyone's thoughts and prayers," he said and added, "I'm just blessed she's healthy and whole, and we'll get through it."

Back in November 2012, police was called to Bongiovi's dorm room at the upstate New York liberal arts college she attended after she was found unresponsive. Emergency services found her alive, and officers sent to the dorm found a small amount of heroin.

A few weeks later, Bon Jovi made his first public comment regarding the incident. "I'm shocked as much as the next parent with this situation and had no idea," he told the AP at the time. "But then you surround them with best help and love and move on, and that's where we're at with it. Steph is a great kid."

------------I also love the song about " runaway teenagers", and it happened to my best neighbors :

Citrine is a variety of quartz whose color ranges from a pale yellow to brown. Natural citrines are rare; most commercial citrines are heat-treated amethysts or smoky quartzes. It is nearly impossible to tell cut citrine from yellow topaz visibly, but they differ in hardness. Citrine has ferric impurities, and is rarely found naturally. Brazil is the leading producer of citrine, with much of its production coming from the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The name is derived from Latin citrina which means "yellow" and is also the origin of the word "citron." Sometimes citrine and amethyst can be found together in the same crystal, which is then referred to as ametrine.

Citrine is one of three traditional birthstones for the month of November.

Spinel, another red gemstone, is sometimes found along with rubies in the same gem gravel or marble. Red spinel may be mistaken for ruby by those lacking experience with gems. However, the finest red spinels can have a value approaching that of the average ruby.[10] The color of rubies varies from vermilion to red. The most desired color is "pigeon's blood", which is pure red with a hint of blue. If the color is too pink, the stone is a pink sapphire. The same is true if it is too violet – it is a violet sapphire. The best rubies and star rubies are bright red. Most rubies come from Burma and Thailand.

-------------Praisiolite

Prasiolite, green-quartz or vermarine is a green form of quartz, a silicate mineral chemically silicon dioxide. Prasiolite is one of several quartz varieties. Since 1950, almost all natural prasiolite has come from a small Brazilian mine, but it is also seen in Lower Silesia in Poland. Naturally occurring prasiolite is also found in the Thunder Bay area of Canada.

*********yawares

Last edited by yawares on Mon Apr 15, 2013 2:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I don't personally care for wearing jewelry but I thought all the pictures you posted were among the prettiest I've seen. With that being said, I'd really like to see the diamond engagement ring go the way of the Dodo in western society as the diamond industry is wrought with suffering. I'm not sure if other gem industries are plagued in the same way.

Mojo wrote:I don't personally care for wearing jewelry but I thought all the pictures you posted were among the prettiest I've seen. With that being said, I'd really like to see the diamond engagement ring go the way of the Dodo in western society as the diamond industry is wrought with suffering. I'm not sure if other gem industries are plagued in the same way.

*********Dear Mojo,

I admire your concern about the suffering behind the diamond/gem industry in Africa and only in AFRICA!!!!!...but diamonds/gems from other countries are not ...no suffering at all......no gem/diamond miners/traders in Asia/Australia/Russia/Brazil/Colombia/USA etc. suffer at all..they're rich/happy.

Please look at the bright side, many people have jobs/make good living from selling diamonds/gems...they are symbols of love..only people who love you will give diamonds/gems jewelries to you !!

My secret of happiness/peaceful heart is to follow Buddha's teaching:

To avoid evil,To do good,To purify the mind,This is the advice of all the Buddhas......So I don't think much about things that make me sad/suffer..I love my peace of mind..and I also love my Dhamma Wheel/Dharma Wheel friends!!

is 'Tep' your husband, yes? When it comes to that bit about 'providing her with adornments' (regarding how the husband should minister to his wife), well he would appear to have that one covered, that's for sure! You've got some fine gems there. Enjoy them but do remember you can't take them with you, ok? (I know that you know that!)

Thanks for sharing though. I just mused that, if what I've read in the suttas is correct, if you dutifully follow the lay Buddhist Path in all it's aspects, giving to the Sangha, purifying virtue more and more, doing Eight precepts on special days too etc, you might get reborn as a Deva / Devi in Heaven with a whole mansion full of these gems hehe. (Or from your meditation, you might get disenchanted with gemstones, and experience an even sweeter happiness. Either way there's sukha, only varying in degree and quality).

In peace and metta

Then the Blessed One, picking up a tiny bit of dust with the tip of his fingernail, said to the monk, "There isn't even this much form...feeling...perception...fabrications...consciousness that is constant, lasting, eternal, not subject to change, that will stay just as it is as long as eternity." (SN 22.97)

is 'Tep' your husband, yes? When it comes to that bit about 'providing her with adornments' (regarding how the husband should minister to his wife), well he would appear to have that one covered, that's for sure! You've got some fine gems there. Enjoy them but do remember you can't take them with you, ok? (I know that you know that!)

Thanks for sharing though. I just mused that, if what I've read in the suttas is correct, if you dutifully follow the lay Buddhist Path in all it's aspects, giving to the Sangha, purifying virtue more and more, doing Eight precepts on special days too etc, you might get reborn as a Deva / Devi in Heaven with a whole mansion full of these gems hehe. (Or from your meditation, you might get disenchanted with gemstones, and experience an even sweeter happiness. Either way there's sukha, only varying in degree and quality).

In peace and metta

---------Dear Manas,

I'll give all my jewelry to my daughter .....Yes Tep is my husband who loves me since I was 16 yrs old.

Oh Manas...I'll do anything to go to heaven...and I'm sure I'll see many Dhamma Wheel/Dharma Wheel members up there...and if you see me please say 'Hi Yawares'....Do you know this song? :

Wish you the best springtime/Thanks for being my dhamma-friend yawares..will never stand at the gate of Niraya/Apaya...not cool !!

Yes, I know and love that song. After my dear father passed away a few years back, it would make me cry to listen to it. But that was good for me at that time; when someone dies, tears help to release the grief.

Then the Blessed One, picking up a tiny bit of dust with the tip of his fingernail, said to the monk, "There isn't even this much form...feeling...perception...fabrications...consciousness that is constant, lasting, eternal, not subject to change, that will stay just as it is as long as eternity." (SN 22.97)

Oh I love your songs very very much...exciting videos...my sleepy-head gone gone gone!! I love ' Eye for an eye' the most ...looks like the movie TRANSFORMERs...fun/cute. I closed the door of my computer room and played the songs real loud.

manas wrote:Yes, I know and love that song. After my dear father passed away a few years back, it would make me cry to listen to it. But that was good for me at that time; when someone dies, tears help to release the grief.

------Dear Manas,

Buddha's saying:"Long have you (repeatedly) experienced the death of a father. The tears you have shed over the death of a father while transmigrating & wandering this long, long time — crying & weeping from being joined with what is displeasing, being separated from what is pleasing — are greater than the water in the four great oceans."

manas wrote:Yes, I know and love that song. After my dear father passed away a few years back, it would make me cry to listen to it. But that was good for me at that time; when someone dies, tears help to release the grief.

------Dear Manas,

Buddha's saying:"Long have you (repeatedly) experienced the death of a father. The tears you have shed over the death of a father while transmigrating & wandering this long, long time — crying & weeping from being joined with what is displeasing, being separated from what is pleasing — are greater than the water in the four great oceans."

I cried a river when my mom/dad/brother died too yawares

In peace and metta

Then the Blessed One, picking up a tiny bit of dust with the tip of his fingernail, said to the monk, "There isn't even this much form...feeling...perception...fabrications...consciousness that is constant, lasting, eternal, not subject to change, that will stay just as it is as long as eternity." (SN 22.97)